Through the National Fish Habitat Partnership program (www.fishhabitat.org), the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) and its partners are providing more than $35 million to support 95 fish habitat conservation projects in 31 states. The Service is providing $4.3 million this year, with non-governmental organizations, state resource agencies, and other partners contributing an additional $31.3 million. These projects represent nearly an 8-to-1 match for federal funding with partnership project funding from other sources.

Partners will work on funded projects in priority areas to restore stream banks, remove man-made barriers to fish passage, reduce erosion from farm and ranchlands, and conduct studies to identify conservation needs for fish and their habitats. Anticipated benefits include more robust fish populations, better fishing, and healthier waterways. For example, projects this year include a dam removal in Indiana to benefit smallmouth bass, expand the nursery habitat for native Razorback sucker in the Colorado River, and remove invasive species in Hawaii. A full list of funded activities can be found here.

“These collaborative projects, which bring a variety of partners to the table, are beneficial in moving conservation forward in the U.S.,” said Ed Schriever, Director of the Idaho Department of Fish and Game and Chair of the National Fish Habitat Board. “The leveraging of resources through our partnerships is unique, and it proves we can collectively achieve more to benefit fish habitat.”

The National Fish Habitat Partnership program is a national investment strategy to maximize the impact of limited fish habitat conservation dollars. Under the program, federal, state, tribal, and privately raised funds are leveraged through regional Fish Habitat Partnerships to address the nation’s biggest fish habitat challenges. The USFWS is a key partner in implementing the partnership, providing leadership and technical expertise on the local, regional, and national levels, as well as financial assistance directly to partners for on-the-ground conservation projects.

The partnership brings the collective expertise of federal, state, and non-governmental organizations to identify and prioritize conservation work to get the most significant benefit for fish and other aquatic resources for the American people.